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hypnosec (2231454) writes "Researchers have managed to build a fibre optic cable that is capable of transferring data between end points at near light speed. The team of researchers over at the University of Southampton in England have constructed a fibre that is hollow with special inner walls that will prevent light from refracting. Fibre optic cables transfer data using light beams and even though theoretically the cables can carry data at near light speed, the actual data throughput is reduced by 31 per cent — thanks to the refraction of light as it passes through silica glass. Refraction of light is less in air as compared to glass and to get around the above problem, researchers have been looking at options through which the core of the fiber can be replaced by air. Another hurdle was the question of how to get light beams to move through cables that bend and around curvatures. This is where the ingenuity of the research comes into play. The researchers have built fibre cables with a hollow core that allows for movement of light across bends while minimizing loss of light due to refraction. The researchers credit this achievement to what they have dubbed "ultra-thin photonic-bandgap rim" that not only minimizes data loss but also reduces latency while providing for wider bandwidth."Link to Original Source